The College Dropout (Kanye West album)
The College Dropout (abbreviated to TCD) is the debut studio album by American rapper, singer and producer Kanye West. It was released in early 2004 by Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella, and features guest appearances from Syleena Johnson, GLC, Consequence, Jay-Z, J. Ivy, Talib Kweli, Common, Twista, Jamie Foxx, Ludacris, Mos Def, Freeway and The Boys Choir of Harlem. The album received super positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. In 2005, it was followed by Late Registration, West's second album. History With his contributions of to Jay-Z's inspirational second album The Blueprint from 2001, West came to receive popularity and is credited regenerating the career of the rapper. Track Listing Tracks written by Kanye West, Miri-Ben Ari, Ross Vannelli, John Stephens, Lauryn Hill, Albert E. Brumley, Leonard Harris, Dexter Mills, Marvin Gaye, Gwen Gordy Fuqua, Sandra Greene, Che Smith, Curtis Lundy, Shawn Carter, James Richardson, Michael Bolton, Bruce Kulick, Talib Kweli Greene, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr., Bosco Kante, Sumeke Rainey, Carl Mitchell, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Brian Miller, Aretha Franklin, Dante Smith, Leslie Pridgen, Lou Wilson, Ric Wilson, Carlos Wilson, David Foster, Tom Keane, Cynthia Well, Michael Perretta and Ken Lewis. Personnel Why It Rocks # The production on this album is phenomenal. # The lyrics on this album are amazing. # There are songs like "All Falls Down" and "Jesus Walks", which are amazing and could easily be considered some of Kanye's greatest songs of all time. # The skits are very entertaining and add alot of character to the album. # The features are great. # Large number of tracks. # The music videos that came with this album are spectacular. # Kanye's flow on this album is amazing. # Kanye's delivery on this album is also pretty good. # The album cover is nice. # This, along with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Late Registration, are some of Kanye's best projects. # This album made him blow up and start his great career. # Every track on this album is good. # The 2005 Japanese special edition adds the bonus track "Heavy Hitters" featuring GLC). Reception Critical Reception The College Dropout was critically acclaimed by music critics. On Metacritic, the album has a score of 87 out of 100 based on 25 reviews. Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave it a 5 out 5 stars, saying "Prior to this album, we were more than aware that West's stature as a producer was undeniable; now we know that he's also a remarkably versatile lyricst and a valuable MC. Jon Pareles of Blender gave it a 4 out of 5 stars, saying "He has his own personality: not a gangsta or a player but a diligent pragmist". Michael Endelman of Entertainment Weekly gave the record an A-, saying "West delivers the goods with a disarming mix of confessional honest and sarcastic humor, earnest idealism and big-pimping materialism. Soren Baker of The Los Angeles Times gave it a 3 out of 4 stars, saying "West does tend to overextend his songs... But it's a forgiveable sin for a man whose music and message is so powerful. Mojo gave the album a 4 out of 5 stars, saying "This is manna for hip hop fans starved of basic but ballistic beats-and-breaks fare in an increasingly litigious age." Rob Mitchum of Pitchfork gave it an 8.2 out of 10, calling it "A flawed, overlong, hypocritical, egotistical, and altogether terrific album". Jon Caraminaca of Rolling Stone gave it a 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying "His ace in the hole is his signature cozy sound -- dusty soul samples, drums that pop as if hit for the very first time." Chris Ryan of Spin gave it a B+, saying "Most producers who approach the mic do at their peril, but on Dropout, West turns out to be a full-service hip-hop artiste." Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave it an A. Accolades In 2005 at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, The College Dropout won in the Best Rap Album category and received 10 nominations. Chart Performance Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications * Canada (CRIA): Platinum - 80,000 * New Zealand (RIANZ): Gold - 7,500 * United Kingdom (BPI): 2x Platinum - 600,000 * United States (RIAA): 3x Platinum - 3,358,000 Music Videos Kanye West - Through the Wire Twista feat Kanye West & Jamie Foxx - Slow Jamz (Official Video) Kanye West - All Falls Down ft. Syleena Johnson JESUS WALKS WITH ME - K.WEST Kanye West - Jesus Walks (Version 2) Kanye West - Jesus Walks pt. 3 Kanye West - The New Workout Plan (Long Version) Kanye West - The New Workout Plan (Short Version) Category:2000s Category:Albums Category:Hip hop Category:Rhythm and blues Category:Soul Category:Gospel Category:Kanye West Category:Kanye West Albums Category:Debut Albums